People Change
by Lingua Dii
Summary: How well do you really know someone? Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

People change... Or do they? Some maintain that change requires an event of cataclysmic proportions, such as the death of a loved one or severe physical trauma. Others believe change is gradual and inevitable, brought forth by interacting with other people and the rest of the environment. Kyle belonged to the former group. Even when Kenny showed what everyone else thought were his "true colors", Kyle never gave up on him or changed his mind.  
>Cartman had long since moved away, after a particularly bad fight with Kenny, ending with the fat boy's complete and total humiliation in front of every student at the school. Even he couldn't recover from it, so he ran. Kyle was impressed by Kenny standing up to Cartman, but it was shortly afterward that Kenny changed. He had always been one of the quietest boys in South Park, always content with his situation, no matter what it was, so it surprised everyone when Craig, Clyde, and Token, who, at the time, were very popular amongst the school children, called him into their circle. Kenny didn't think twice and joined them, completely ignoring Kyle and Stan, who had been his friends for as long as anyone could remember. It wasn't long before Kyle and Stan tried to fill the void left by Kenny. They turned to Butters, who had already replaced Kenny before. At first, Butters was insulted the boys only treated him as a best friend when they needed him, but he was quick to dismiss that emotion and accepted his old role, half-hoping that it would be a more permanent one, while also expecting Kenny to come to his senses and stop the charade. His hopes for the latter were misguided. Kenny had never had much in his life, so, when he found himself in a position to have what he wanted, he just couldn't say no, even if it meant leaving his friends. Kyle was heartbroken.<br>A couple of years ago, Kyle had fallen in love with Kenny. To see him readily turn his back on those he had once called his best friends, all because of fame, was depressing, to say the least. Though it didn't make his feelings go away. Even when Kenny started mocking him for just about everything, it didn't affect him. Kyle knew – or, rather, he hoped – that Kenny was still the Kenny he knew and loved. The kind-hearted blond who, quite literally, wouldn't harm a fly. Someone who was devoid of evil. Sure, as kids, he and his friends, Kyle included, had done some stuff they all considered bad, but, when they grew up, that all changed. They became more empathetic and caring, to a point. The only one who didn't change was Cartman. He kept being manipulative, cold-hearted, insulting, and just all-around a bad person. Kyle was relieved and glad when Kenny stood up to him and forced him to leave.  
>Stan eventually became, at best, a distant friend to Kyle and Butters, forcing the red-head to become more involved with Butters. Stan simply drifted off and nearly became a hermit at school, staying away from the other boys. He had thought about rejoining the Goth Kids, as everyone expected him to, yet they wouldn't take him back. Eventually, he resorted to only interacting with the other kids only when he saw fit or when it was absolutely necessary. Kyle's entire world was falling apart, yet he took comfort in his deep-seated belief that he and Kenny would, one day, be together. Butters kept trying to convince him that the Kenny he had fallen in love with was not the person Kenny truly was, and even told him the various things Kenny had done that clearly demonstrated it, yet Kyle didn't believe him.<br>The boys were at Butters' house, having met there to play a few games, but their conversation quickly delved into the realm of Kenny, as it usually did. This time, however, Butters finally snapped for the first time in years.

"Dammit, Kyle! Are you really **this** stupid? Kenny doesn't like you. I'm not sure if he even can. Even **you** don't like him. He's not the guy you think he is. And if he ever was, he's not anymore. Get it through your thick skull: **Kenny does not like you**. Is this so hard to understand? I swear, sometimes I feel like I don't know **you**. You've always seemed like the smartest guy I've ever met, but... now... I don't know."  
>"...I'm not an idiot, Butters. I guess... I guess I just know Kenny better than you do. He's a good person."<br>"D... Did you not hear what I just- You know what, forget it. I'm being an idiot, like you. I can't expect a blind person to suddenly start seeing, so why should I expect **you** to develop **a brain**?"  
>"...I'm leaving."<br>"Kyle-"  
>"If you're going to be like that, I might as well not be here. I don't have to listen to this shit, especially from you."<p>

Kyle left Butters' house as quickly as he could, ignoring Butters' stuttered apologies as he walked away from him and out the door.

"_Fucking Butters..._" Kyle thought. "_I've known Kenny for longer than he has. I **know** what he's like. He's not like this... He's just... confused._"

Inside, Butters was just as upset at Kyle. He sighed, trying to forget his conversation, until he decided to study so as to distract himself.

* * *

><p>Kyle entered his room, with Butters' words still echoing through his mind. To shut out his voice, Kyle stared at a picture he had taken with Kenny, Stan, and Cartman several years ago, when they were still children. Kenny was still very shy back then, only looking at the camera because Kyle and Stan had practically forced him to. Even then, his hood hid most of his facial features. Aside from his short nose, rosy cheeks, and bright blue eyes, Kyle couldn't make anything else out. After comparing it to a more recent picture, Kyle saw a few differences – Kenny's cheeks were the same color as the rest of his skin – darker than Kyle's own, but still light – and his nose was slightly larger – but, overall, Kenny remained unchanged; untouched by time. His skin looked as smooth as ever, his eyes, if anything, resembled the sky even more, and his weight was perfect for his height – not too fat, nor too thin; just slender. Kyle was almost jealous of him for being so pretty.<br>Kyle's eyes started to tear up when he recalled that the picture he was looking at was the last they had taken together – before Kenny left them altogether. His finger hovered above the "Delete" key, wondering if he should just erase all physical traces of their friendship and be done with it. Tears started rolling down his cheeks as he gently pressed the button halfway.

"_...No. I can't do this._" Kyle thought as he dried his tears and moved away from the keyboard. "_If I do this... It means I'm giving up on him. I can't do that. I **won't** do that. **Fuck** Butters. He doesn't know shit._"

* * *

><p>Several hours later, Butters lain in his bed, unable to fall asleep. He had calmed down somewhat, leading to regret over the way he had treated Kyle. He knew he was right – Kyle was acting like an idiot – but he had been exceedingly rude toward his friend. What Kyle needed was someone who would listen to him; not someone who would berate him. Eventually, Butters thought, Kyle would see the truth.<p>

"_I guess I'll just have to be there for him, doing what I've been doing – try to convince him he's wrong, but without being such a dick about it... Now if I could only get to sleep..._"

* * *

><p>The following morning, Kyle and Butters crosses paths at the school gate. Kyle glanced at his friend, acknowledging his presence with a weak nod, before heading inside. Butters quietly followed him, wondering how to apologize. Meanwhile, Kyle was glancing at Kenny every couple of seconds, trying to figure something out.<p>

"_Why doesn't Kenny take off his parka? It's a billion degrees out here! I know he likes it; it's his 'thing' or whatever, but this is just stupid. He must be boiling inside that parka._"

Before he could even think of what to say, Kyle spoke up.

"What's wrong? You seem quieter than usual."  
>"Huh? I-I was just..."<p>

Butters began to stutter uncontrollable, prompting Kyle to sigh and ignore him altogether. His eyes met Kenny's for a fraction of a second, but he quickly averted his gaze.

"Just give up on him, Kyle." Butters said hesitantly. "Kenny's a jerk, and you know it."  
>"That's not the Kenny I know. He's a good guy. And I mean a <strong>good<strong> guy."  
>"That's who he was... not who he is."<br>"...I don't believe that."  
>"Whether you believe or not is besides the point. The truth is that Kenny changed. Maybe it was the fame. I don't know. All I know is that he's not who you – <strong>we<strong> – thought he was... Do you think this is easy for me to say? I liked Kenny almost as much as you. He was my friend, same as yours."

Kyle turned his gaze toward Kenny. He saw him laugh with his new friends, slowly wondering if maybe Butters was right. Maybe the Kenny they knew was gone. Or maybe he had always been this way and just didn't show it because he didn't have the social status for it to be tolerated by others.

"_Is this really who you are, Kenny? Who you want to be? Is this... who I fell in love with?_"

Kenny and Kyle's eyes met for a second time, after which Kenny turned to his friends and openly, and loudly, mocked Kyle for his sexuality. Everyone within several feet of him burst out laughing, making Kyle blush from embarrassment, even though he hadn't heard what Kenny had said; only that he was talking about him. Kyle was about to walk over to Kenny and say something about it, until Butters placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Let it go, Kyle... He's not worth it."  
>"That is bullshit, Butters. I'm not gonna let this stand."<p>

Kyle started making his way toward Kenny angrily, but Butters didn't give up. He grabbed Kyle's wrist and wouldn't let go.

"Kyle, I'm trying to protect you."  
>"Well, I don't need <strong>you<strong> to protect **me**." Kyle said as he tried to set himself free. "You can barely protect yourself."

Kyle finally broke free from Butters' grip and continued to walk toward Kenny. Kenny was growing a little scared, yet he didn't let it show, for fear that it would damage his reputation.

"Hey, Kenny, looks like the fag is gonna try to hit you or something." Clyde said.  
>"Um... Yeah..."<br>"Don't tell me you're scared, dude." Token added.  
>"What? Me? No! Not at all!"<br>"Well, you'd better figure out what you're gonna say to him, because he's gonna be here in two... one..."

Kyle stood in front of Kenny for several seconds without saying anything. There was no need. His angry expression told Kenny everything he needed to know. Kenny's friends backed away, forming a circle around him and Kyle in order to watch whatever was to come. Kenny desperately wanted to run away, but he knew that, if he did, all his fame and presumed glory would evaporate as quickly as they had appeared. He didn't want to hurt Kyle, yet he would, to preserve his status. Kyle clenched his fist as hard as he could, nearly drawing blood by the look of it, but, finally, he simply looked Kenny straight in the eyes and spoke.

"...You've become worse than Cartman." Kyle whispered angrily.

Kenny pretended not to be affected by Kyle's statement, much to the redhead's amazement. Kyle walked away, back to Butters. Kenny's friends approached him once again and wasted no time in asking what Kyle had said.

"He, uh... I-It was nothing. You know how kids are."  
>"Come on, tell us!"<br>"It really was nothing, I swear!"

Butters had the same question on his mind as Kenny's friends. Kyle was going to beat the crap out of Kenny; Kenny, Kyle, and Butters all knew it. Yet Kyle decided not to. He wanted to ask what Kyle had said and satisfy his curiosity, but he respected Kyle's privacy and decided not to ask, though Kyle summarized it for him.

"...You were right." Kyle said grimly. "Kenny's gone."

Kyle's statement didn't really bother Butters. However, his earlier statement did. Kyle was right that Butters couldn't even protect himself. Butters lowered his head, lost in sadness, until Kyle recalled what he had said and apologized.

"Butters... I didn't mean what I said earlier. I know you're just trying to help, but... Kenny really pissed me off. I'm sorry."

Butters raised his head slightly, with a weak smile on his lips.

"I'd hug you, but I don't want people to think that we're dating... At least no more than they already do."  
>"Thanks, Kyle." Butters chuckled.<p>

A loud bell just above the boys' heads indicated the start of a new school day. As soon as it was over, they laughed.

"We really should have been somewhere else."  
>"Yeah... Let's go. My ears are ringing."<p>

While the duo moved inside the school, Butters decided to show his amazement at Kyle's self-control.

"You know, I'm really surprised you didn't just kick his ass right there and then out of spite."  
>"Whaddya mean?"<br>"Well, it's just... I kinda admire you for doing that. Taking the high-road or whatever. Especially since you got pissed at me just for saying something once, and he's been at it for... a while."  
>"Y-You... You're right. I've been taking this shit from him for years."<br>"That's not what I meant to-"  
>"I shouldn't have held back. I should have..."<br>"What?"  
>"...Nothing. Let's just go."<br>"What are you planning to do?"  
>"I'm just gonna talk to him."<p>

"_Why don't I believe you?_" Butters sighed.


	2. Chapter 2

Kyle rushed to Kenny's house, fueled by rage brought on by Butters words. He didn't find Kenny on his way there, as Kenny had left sooner and also ran home, although Kyle didn't know it. As soon as he got there, Kyle knocked on the door several times in three seconds, before ringing the doorbell. Much to his surprise, Karen was the one who opened the door. In his anger, he had completely forgotten Kenny's siblings even existed.

"Hey, Kyle."  
>"Hi."<br>"Um... Kenny's upstairs, but-"  
>"Can I talk to him?"<br>"That's the thing... He's kinda... busy."  
>"I <strong>really<strong> need to talk to him."

"_And punch him in the face._" Kyle thought.

"Alright... Just don't do anything stupid. He's really... Well, you'll see."

Karen moved to the side, letting Kyle in her home. He went upstairs as quickly as possible, finding Kenny's door closed. Instead of knocking, Kyle simply opened it as hard as he could, half-hoping to hit Kenny with the door. He found Kenny on his bed, curled up into a ball, sobbing, and without any clothes on his upper body. Kyle was confused by the sight, but he didn't have time to analyze it. As soon as Kenny had heard the doorknob being touched, he had grabbed his trademark orange parka and covered his upper half with it.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Kyle?"  
>"I..."<br>"Did Karen let you in?"  
>"Y-"<br>"Just get out! Go away! Now!"

Kenny instinctively pointed at the door, not realizing he had exposed his arm to Kyle's very observant eyes. Regardless, unless it had been a blind person, anyone would have seen what Kyle saw.

"A-Are those... Are those **cuts**... o-on your **arm**?"

Kenny quickly retracted his limb, trying desperately to come up with a decent excuse.

"I-I cut myself w-"  
>"No shit! What the hell is wrong with you?"<br>"I **said**: I cut myself with a-a... Dammit, what's it called... One of those things to cut boiled eggs into slices."  
>"...Those things are nowhere sharp or big enough to make half a dozen cuts that big. They're basically thin wires."<p>

Kenny counted his cuts while keeping his arms hidden under his parka. Kyle was right: there were six cuts on his right arm, but his left arm had even more, which Kyle hadn't seen.

"_I completely lost track of how many times I..._"

"How long have you been doing that to yourself?"  
>"I told you, it was an accident. Leave me alone."<br>"No, you **lied** to me."  
>"Just go away!"<p>

Kyle was still angry at Kenny, so, ignoring his concern for him, he turned around. However, his legs wouldn't let him walk trough the door. His empathy for Kenny's situation was stronger than his anger. Out of frustration, Kyle turned around again. Kenny didn't understand why he had done it, so he simply yelled at him again.

"Why won't you go?!"  
>"Because you need help."<br>"...I don't need you."  
>"I don't see anyone else stepping up."<p>

Kenny murmured incomprehensibly in response, clearly upset by Kyle's statement. Rather than retract his statement or try to rectify it, Kyle pushed the issue further.

"Did you even tell your family about it? Your sister?"  
>"No..."<br>"Then I guess I'm your only chance."

Kenny didn't want to accept Kyle's help. He didn't think he deserved it. Seeing as how Kenny wouldn't say anything, Kyle decided to pressure him even more.

"Fine. Be that way. I'll just go then."

Before Kyle had even completely turned around, Kenny snapped.

"No! Wait!"  
>"...Are you gonna let me help?" Kyle asked as he approached Kenny's bed.<br>"I..."

While Kenny gave it some thought, Kyle put his hand on Kenny's parka and pulled on it gently. However, Kenny wouldn't let him remove it.

"Kenny, if you want me to help, you're going to have to trust me."  
>"...Close the door. I don't want Karen to come in and see this."<br>"OK..."

Kyle rushed to the door, closing it, and returned to Kenny's bedside in less than two seconds. He gently tugged on the parka covering Kenny's chest and arms, yet, in spite of his apparent acceptance, Kenny still hung on to it. However, his grip became weaker and weaker the more Kyle pulled, until, finally, Kyle removed it completely. He tried desperately not to react visibly, but his eyes still twitched uncontrollably. Kenny didn't notice anything, though, since he had his eyes closed and his head turned away, not wanting to face Kyle.  
>Kyle counted the cuts on Kenny's left arm. There were well over fourteen deep cuts, some of which looked like they had been cut repeatedly on the same spot, making a precise count of how many times Kenny had cut himself nigh-impossible. There were even deep marks – not cuts <em>per se<em>; just signs that a sharp object had been pressed against those areas – on his chest. After several seconds, Kenny covered his arms again. Kyle was nearly driven to tears, as was Kenny.

"Kenny, I... How could you do that to yourself?"

Kenny didn't answer him. He couldn't even bear to think about Kyle's question. Kyle sighed wearily, thinking he had gotten all the information he was going to get, until another question popped into his head.

"I-Is there... more?"  
>"No... These are all the... marks I have."<br>"...And what else?"  
>"I..."<p>

Kenny once again broke into tears and sobbing. Kyle stared at him, still too angry to make physical contact, until Kenny stopped sobbing. Tears still rolled down his cheeks, but he didn't make any noise until he continued his explanation.

"I've been having insomnia for about a year now. When I **can** sleep, it's only because I take a handful of different sleeping pills, and I have nightmares all night long. All... gorey and painful. Burning alive, being cut into tiny pieces – that sort of thing."

Kyle raised an eyebrow at Kenny's explanation. He didn't buy what the blond was telling him. The confessions were coming out too quickly, and if his time frame was to be trusted, there was no way Kenny would have been comfortable opening up for the first time to anyone, especially Kyle, who had been (very publicly) angry at him just earlier today.

"I've been taking anti-depressants, but they don't do shit."  
>"What kind?"<br>"What?"  
>"What kind of anti-depressants?"<br>"I don't know..." Kenny replied uncaringly. "Some over-the-counter crap. Why do you ask?"  
>"...I just wanted to confirm you were full of shit."<br>"I... What?!"  
>"You heard me."<br>"How can you say that? You think I'm making this up?"  
>"...Maybe."<p>

Kenny was speechless. He had just opened up to someone – Kyle, of all people – for the first time in years about his problems, and he didn't even believe him. He opened and closed his mouth constantly, trying to find the words to express his feelings, until, finally, he found them.

"Get out." Kenny said sternly.  
>"What?"<br>"Get the fuck out of my room and out of my house."  
>"Ken-"<br>"Get out!"

Kenny's scream was heard all throughout the house, yet Karen stayed still. She thought that it was up to her brother and Kyle to settle their differences.  
>Kyle thought about leaving, but there was something on his mind that he needed to say before he did, just in case Kenny would believe him.<p>

"...I'm sorry, Kenny."  
>"Too late for that. Get out."<br>"Just... Let me ask you something."  
>"What?"<br>"...Is this for real?"

Kenny's eyes once again flared up with anger, so Kyle explained his statement.

"I-I mean, I... I **want** to trust you, Kenny. I **want** to believe you... But you gotta give me something."  
>"My word isn't enough? You need to see me stay awake all night? Maybe cry and nearly piss myself out of fear and pain while I'm having nightmares where I'm being tortured? You want to watch me take antidepressants and sleeping pills together just so I can get some sleep? Fuck off."<br>"...Your word has never exactly been the most reliable source of information. A long time ago you said – no, you **swore** – that Stan and I were, and would always be, your best friends. Then you... left."  
>"...Things change. You're an <strong>idiot<strong> if you expect them to stay the same. We're not kids anymore, Kyle. What I said then... It... doesn't mean anything."

Although Kenny had calmed down somewhat, all his statements did was make Kyle angrier. He took deep breaths in a futile attempt to calm himself down. Upon realizing it wasn't working, he spoke his mind.

"Fine. Be that way. Be someone whose word can **never** be counted on, because they're a two-faced **douchebag** – and douchebag is really the nicest thing I can come up with right now – who doesn't give a crap about others. So **you** fuck off, Kenny." Kyle spat angrily. "Butters was right." he added. "You're not worth my time."

Kyle started making his way out of Kenny's room, but he still had more to say.

"You know, I..."

As soon as Kyle turned around, he saw Kenny crying for the third time. He had never seen Kenny cry so much, so quickly, and so often. In fact, aside from Butters several years ago, nobody really cried that much. Kyle sighed wearily and approached Kenny again. This time, he sat down next to him, waiting for him to stop weeping. When he didn't, even after almost half a minute, Kyle sighed again.

"If I help you... Do you promise not to tell anyone?"  
>"Yes." Kenny replied without hesitation, almost smiling.<br>"Then I'll do it."  
>"...Thank you, Kyle."<p>

The silence throughout the house seemed strange to Karen, who couldn't help but peek through the keyhole. She saw the boys looking at each other for a split second, before Kenny spoke up.

"Um... A-Are you still gonna leave?"  
>"Do you want me to?"<br>"No..."  
>"Then I'll stay... as long as you need me to. I said I'd help you, and I keep my word."<p>

Karen heard the whole conversation and smiled. Kenny realized the light coming from underneath his door had a pair of distinct slim shadows, so he glared at the keyhole, startling Karen. Karen stopped spying on her brother, but Kenny's angry stare didn't go unnoticed by Kyle. The soft sound of footsteps coming from just outside the door was the final piece of the puzzle.

"Was your sister... spying on us?"  
>"Yeah... Just ignore her."<br>"So... What else can I do besides just... sitting here?"  
>"Um... I don't think you'll want to help with that..."<br>"You can tell me."  
>"It's... kind of embarrassing, but... I really suck at... homework."<br>"What kind?"  
>"...All of it." Kenny shyly confessed.<br>"Oh."  
>"Told you. It's OK if you don't wanna help me."<br>"I'll help. Come on; grab your notebook and bring it over to your desk."  
>"R-Right now?"<br>"Sure."  
>"A-Alright..."<p>

Kyle stood next to Kenny's desk chair, but Kenny wouldn't have it.

"Sit down, Kyle. I'll stand."  
>"OK."<p>

Kyle sat down, staring at the mess on Kenny's desk while listening to Kenny fiddling with his backpack in a hard search for his notebook. Parts of it were covered in a thin layer of dust, reflecting his underuse of them. Others were shiny; Kyle was fairly certain they had actually been polished.

"Found it!" Kenny announced with glee.

Kenny quickly and casually tossed his open notebook on his desk, standing directly behind Kyle to listen to and watch him carefully. However, Kyle became nervous once he realized Kenny was still shirtless. Moreover, he was leaning against the short-backed chair, allowing Kenny's chest to rub up against Kyle's shoulders and the back of his head.

"Um... Kenny?"  
>"Is it my handwriting? I've always had a crappy handwriting. Sorry. See, these are my notes from-"<br>"That's not it. Can you... please put on a shirt or something?"  
>"Why?"<br>"B-Because... Um... Your arms kinda creep me out."  
>"Oh..."<br>"A-And... if Karen walks in here, she could see them."  
>"Alright. Gimme a sec."<p>

Kyle was lying, of course. Truth was, he wouldn't be able to focus if Kenny – or anyone he found attractive, really – was shirtless around him and literally rubbing themselves up against him, even if only slightly and unintentionally.  
>Kenny put on the first shirt he could find that covered the cuts on his arms and went straight back to Kyle. He was still leaning against the desk chair while unwittingly rubbing his chest against Kyle's shoulders and the back of his head, but at least it wasn't his bare skin doing so.<p>

"So... Um..."  
>"What?"<br>"Uh... What does this say?" Kyle asked awkwardly.

Kenny chuckled loudly.

"Told you you'd need my help."  
>"I guess you were right."<br>"These are my chemistry notes. That's some... weird technical name I can't pronounce."  
>"Can you spell it?"<br>"Sure. Lemme see... OK. The first letter is..."

* * *

><p>Several hours later, just before Kenny's parents returned, Kyle decided to leave. His awkwardness over having Kenny's body pressed against his own was making it impossible to help him, as well as making him angry. Although he had agreed to help Kenny, he was still very upset. Having involuntary physical contact with him only made it worse. Kenny was somewhat saddened, until Kyle promised he'd be back the next day. With that, Kenny smiled and thanked him. It was a smile unlike what Kyle had seen in a long time. Usually, when Kenny smiled, his mouth was spread wide, and he was lightly furrowing his eyebrows. Now, however, his smile was much less wide – more realistic – and his eyebrows were contouring his eyes. Kyle nodded, before leaving. He passed by Karen on his way out, recalling that she had been spying on him and Kenny, yet he didn't say anything. Not that he needed to, though. As soon as their eyes met, she lowered her head in shame.<p>

* * *

><p>On his way home, Kyle's phone vibrated a couple of times in his pocket, as a result of a text. He didn't feel it, though, as his mind was elsewhere. After nearly ten minutes, the person trying to contact him finally resorted to call him. Kyle's phone rang loudly, announcing the call. Kyle immediately reached for his phone, trying to fit his small hands into his severely undersized pocket, nearly dropping the phone in the process. When he finally had his phone secure in his hand, he glanced at the caller ID and answered it.<p>

"Hey, Butters."  
>"Kyle! Finally! Jeez... Where were you? You always answer my texts within a couple of minutes. I was getting worried."<br>"I was... helping someone... And... thanks for worrying." Kyle replied. "I guess..." he whispered to himself.  
>"Who were you helping?"<br>"Uh... None of your business?"  
>"No need to be so rude, but OK."<br>"...Sorry. What did you want to talk about?"  
>"That report we have to write and deliver by email until Thursday?"<br>"Shit! I completely forgot."  
>"I know. That's why I'm calling. We gotta start working on it tomorrow."<br>"T-Tomorrow?"  
>"Yes... Why?"<br>"I, um... I have something to do tomorrow."  
>"Cancel it."<br>"I can't do that."  
>"Postpone it."<br>"Can't do that either."  
>"...What could possibly be more important than your academic future?"<br>"Dude, we can start working on it in a couple of days and still finish everything. Relax."  
>"Kyle..."<br>"Trust me. Would I ever screw this up for you?"  
>"No..."<br>"Then relax. I got this."  
>"Alright."<br>"OK... Look, I just got home. We'll chat more online, alright?"  
>"Sure."<br>"See ya. Give me a few minutes to unpack."  
>"Gotcha. I'll be waiting."<p>

* * *

><p>As soon as Kyle entered his room, he threw his backpack on his bed and sat down at his computer. He leaned against his chair, sighing while closing his eyes.<p>

"_I'm so fucking tired... Kenny's like a two year-old. It's exhausting, having to explain everything to him... And I have to go back tomorrow... I should've just left when he told me to the first time and be done with it._"

Kyle, still with his eyes closed, opened his laptop and turned it on, sighing.

"_Let's get this over with... Even talking to Butters is gonna be exhausting right now._"

Kyle struggled to stay awake, yawning loudly as he fumbled with his wireless mouse. Once he got the chat opened, he immediately went for Butters' screen name – leStotch – and clicked on it to start a private chat.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This is an experiment of sorts. It's the first time I'm trying out online chatting, using things like shortened words, near-total absence of grammar, and so on, that (most) people Kyle's age use. I've also written two versions: one that resembles regular dialog, while the other is meant to resemble an actual chat room. Please let me know which one you think is best, as it will be featured in a later story (specifically one of the secret projects I mention in my profile).<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Version 1:<strong>

"hi ky, sup?"  
>"Hey, Butters. So, what did you wanna talk about?"<br>"what i said that made you pissed. you were pretty angry. did you do anything stupid when you went to talk to him?"

Kyle wondered if he should tell Butters the truth or lie to him. Having only a few seconds before Butters became suspicious over the delay, Kyle decided to lie.

"I never went to talk to him."  
>"why?"<br>"I changed my mind."  
>"ok, glad to see you didnt kick his ass"<p>

"_I'm not so glad about that._" Kyle thought.

Kyle heard his mom calling him for dinner, so he finished the conversation with Butters.

"I gotta go, Butters. My mom's calling me downstairs."  
>"alright. ttyl"<br>"See ya."

**End of version 1.**

* * *

><p><strong>Version 2:<strong>

leStotch:  
>hey ky, sup?<p>

Kyman:  
>Hey, Butters. So, what did you wanna talk about?"<p>

leStotch:  
>what i said that made you pissed. you were pretty angry. did you do anything stupid when you went to talk to him?<p>

Kyle wondered if he should tell Butters the truth or lie to him. Having only a few seconds before Butters became suspicious over the delay, Kyle decided to lie.

Kyman:  
>I never went to talk to him.<p>

leStotch:  
>why?<p>

Kyman:  
>I changed my mind.<p>

leStotch:  
>ok, glad to see you didnt kick his ass<p>

"_I'm not so glad about that._" Kyle thought.

Kyle heard his mom calling him for dinner, so he finished the conversation with Butters.

Kyman:  
>I gotta go, Butters. My mom's calling me downstairs.<p>

leStotch:  
>alright. ttyl<p>

Kyman:  
>See ya.<p>

**End of version 2.**

* * *

><p>Kyle closed his browser, followed by his laptop, and left for dinner.<p>

* * *

><p>About half an hour after dinner, Kyle showered and got in his bed, utterly exhausted. Although his body was pain-free, he couldn't even see straight anymore. He blinked lazily, slowly decreasing his eye-opening, until he was unable to open his eyes, passing out entirely.<p>

* * *

><p>The following morning, Kyle woke up with Ike shaking him.<p>

"Kyle! Wake up!"  
>"Hm..." Kyle groaned. "...Five more minutes."<br>"Dude, it's... 7:30."

Kyle got up, highly skeptic of his brother's statement, but still somewhat scared, as he had classes at 8 AM.

"That's not possible. I set the alarm on my cellphone to-"  
>"And did you remember to check your battery?"<p>

Kyle's eyes widened, and he jumped out of his bed, heading for the bathroom to shower. Ike followed him, knowing he'd forget to close the door. Much to his surprise, though, Kyle hadn't. However, Kyle wasn't done. As he undressed, he yelled – not in anger, but to make sure he would be heard – at his younger brother.

"Why didn't you wake me up sooner?!"  
>"Mom told me not to!"<p>

"_That stupid bitch... What the fuck is wrong with her?! If I miss school, I don't learn. If I don't learn, I get bad grades. If I get bad grades, she bitches and moans about how I'm a 'bad son' or whatever. God dammit..._"

Kyle didn't even set the temperature for his shower; instead, he just got in with ice-cold water, yelping in discomfort loudly enough to be heard from outside.

"You OK?!" Ike asked panickingly.  
>"Yeah! The water's just cold!"<p>

Ike briefly wondered why Kyle hadn't set the correct temperature, but quickly concluded that it had been intentional, due to lack of spare time. He wanted to be woken up as violently as possible, since it was the only way he could stay awake long enough to make it through the day.

* * *

><p>Kyle got dressed and picked up his things, before passing by the kitchen. There were some sandwiches on them that Ike had made.<p>

"I wanted to wake you up, Kyle, but mom told me to let you rest."  
>"What time is it?!"<br>"Uh... 7:50."

"_Fuck._"

"I gotta go!"

Kyle ran out the front door, leaving a big mess – from the bathroom to his bedroom to the kitchen – for Ike to clean up.

"_Better get started..._" Ike thought wearily. "_Although most of this is really my fault... Kyle was taking so long that I rushed the food I made him. Spilled everything everywhere... I'm just a kid anyway; it's not my job to make sandwiches for my brother._"

* * *

><p>Kyle stuffed the sandwiches into his mouth as quickly as he could, barely chewing them before swallowing them, all while he ran toward the school.<p>

"_Dammit... Gotta run faster..._"

Kyle took another bite as he turned a corner, crashing headfirst into another student.

"Dammit!" the student yelled. "Watch where you're going, asshole!"

As soon as the student turned around, Kyle realized he was none other than Stan.

"Oh... Hey, Kyle."  
>"H-Hi... Um... H-How are you doing?"<br>"I'm OK. You?"  
>"Kinda worried about being late to school, so if we could just..."<br>"Same old Kyle..." Stan sighed as he resumed walking. "You really gotta learn how to relax every once in a while."  
>"Well, unlike <strong>you<strong>, I actually like learning."  
>"So... how have you been doing? We haven't spoken in a while."<br>"Things are... complicated right now."  
>"I hope this isn't still about Kenny..."<br>"...Kinda."

"_I knew it..._" Stan thought. "_You've always been obsessive, even as a kid, and Butters doesn't have the guts to tell you to move the fuck on._"

"What about you?"  
>"I'm good. Much better now, not having to deal with our group's nonstop drama every single day."<br>"Yeah... The 'drama' hasn't stopped, though."  
>"I gathered as much... Wanna talk about it?"<br>"I... don't think that's such a good idea. It's kinda personal."  
>"Alright... Well, we're here."<br>"Awesome!"

Kyle started walking faster, yet Stan didn't speed up.

"Aren't you coming?"  
>"Not yet. I have to... do something."<br>"Does this 'something' have to do with why you reek of cigarettes?"

Stan lowered his head knowingly, prompting a response from Kyle.

"...Guess we're both fucked up, huh?"  
>"Guess so..."<p>

Kyle hugged Stan tight, trying to make his friend feel better. Stan awkwardly reciprocated, sparking memories in Kyle's head of the good times they had had together. His eyes began to tear up, and he squeezed Stan even harder, until Stan reminded him about why he had been running to school.

"Uh... Shouldn't you be going to class?"  
>"Y-Yeah..." Kyle mumbled as he let go.<br>"...You OK?"  
>"...No." Kyle replied after shaking his head.<p>

Without saying another word, Kyle walked away while wiping away his fresh tears.

"_I miss you, Stan... I just wish things were back to normal between us. **All** of us._"

* * *

><p>In case you're wondering, yes, Kyle's screen name in the second version of the online chat scene ("Kyman") is a reference to the (bizarrely, IMO) commonfamous pairing.


End file.
